Indicating device for self-propelled vehicles



G. S. WITHAM, In.

INDtCATINGDEVICE FOR SELF FROPELLi-ID VEHICLES.

APPLICATION mm um 25, 1915.

1,359,944, atentad Nov. 23, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET anucwtoz 9/?6 5 5. vv/ THAMJA.

951 His 6110111 a G. S. WiTHAM, In. INDICATING DEVICE FOR SELF FROPELLEDVEHICLES.

M'PUCATION FILED MAIL 25. ms.

1,359,944, Patented Nov. 23, 1920.

GEO/P615 a W/ff/A i GEORGE S. WITHAM, JIL, OF .A'U SABLE FORKS, NEWYORK.

mmcn'rrno DEVICE For. sELr-rRoPELLED VEHICLES.

Application filed March 25, 1916. Serial No. 86,581.

.7 '0 all whom it may canoe-r11:

Be it known that I, tirnonon S. Wmnam, Jr., a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Au Sable Forks, county of Essex,

State of New York, have invented certain new and useful 1m provements inIndicating Devices for Self-Propelled Vehicles; and I the. art to whichit appcrtainsto make and use the same.

- This invention relates to a thermal indicating device or clliciencvmeter for automobiles. aeroplanes motor boats, and like self-propelledi'cl'iicles; and it comprises suchan indicatiin; device constructed andarranged to indicate, upon the instrument board or dash board of theautomobile or upon other accessible or convenient part of the vehicle,the thermal conditions of the internal combustion engine of suchvehicles 'or of the oil or water circulatory systems thereof.

The present invention comprises a thermal indicating device with theheat-responsive element thereof a rranged in heat-interchangingrelation-to the. engine. cylinders or to the oil or water circulatorysystems therefor. ranged in the radiator which serves to cool the waterof a vater-cooled engine. or in the connections between the engine andthe radiator, 01' in any other relation to the water circulatory system.In the (use of an oil circulatory system, such as a luhriraiiug system,the heat-responsive element may be arranged at any convenient part ofthe system, preferably where the oi is at its um mum temperature. Wherethe engine 15 air-cooled, instead of watenmoled, the heatreponsivcelement may lJl alli'unged iii any suitable part of the engine where itwill be subjected to the heat of the cylinders or of theradiating'elements therefor. so that. it will be acted upon thereby. I

In addition to the lNll'l'LQSPGDHlVG eh ment, the invention comprisemeans such as a flexible capillary tube connecting the heat-responsiveelement to an indicating gage or thermometer arranged for convenientobservation by the engine or vehicle operator. The indicating gage mayhe a prcasure gage, and the connection between the gage, and theheat-responsive element.

may he of a nature which will transfer the;

This elcment may thus hr ar-,

Specification of Letters Patent.

thereof illustrated in Patented Nov. 23, 1920.

pressure of the heat-responsive element to the indicating ga e. Theheat-responsive element may thus e provided with a fluid or vapor of anature such that its expansion, under the influence of changes intemperature, will cause correspondln indications in the indicating gage,due to t :0 expansion of the liquid or fluid or to the variations inpressure due to the variations-in tempera ture. The indicating gage willthus indieate, in a continuous and automatic manner, the. thermalcondition of the elcmentor ele-v ments which are inheat-intrclian'ging-relation with the heat-responsive element:-

lnaslnuchas this indication is thus conlinuous and automatic, it is adaitetl to be recorded by the proi'ision of suita le recordnig devices ofa nature which wiltafl'ord a permanentrecord of variations intemperature over a considerable period of time. The invention will bedescribed more in detail in connection with the embodiments the accolnanyin drawings, but it is intended and understoo lhat the invention willbe illustrated by, but will not be limited to, the specific embodimentss illustrated and described.

In the accompanying drawings-w Figure 1 shows, partly in outline, andpartly in section, parts of an automobile n uh the in veution embodiedtherein.

Fig. 2 shows part of a modified construction embodying the invention.

Fig. 23 shows a still further modification.

Fig. l is an enlarged elevation of the indicating: device of Pi 1.

Fig. 5 is a front view of said indicating device. 7

Fig. is an enlarged view of the heatrc pon ive element such as is shownin Figs. 1, 2 and 3. I

in Fig. 1 an automobile engine is illus- [rated conventionally at 1, theengine being of the four-cylinder typeabut it will be unlci'stUOtl thatthe number of cylinders can be increased or decreased without departing:from the general mode of operation.

"lhe radiator of the automobile is indicated at 2, and the dash board orinstrument board at 3. These parts are shown conventionally. as are alsocertain other arts of the automobile. Part of the top 0 the radiator isbroken away, and in the part thus exposed is shown the heat-responsiveelement 4, which contains a fluid or vaponof a. nature adapted to causevariations in pressure corresponding to variations in temperature, andto transmit this pressure to a distant point. This heat-responsiveelement is connected by means of the capillary tube 5 to the indicatinggage 7, suitably arranged upon the dash board or instrument board 3where it can be readily seen b the operator, and preferabl where it willbe illuminated by the usual ight carried upon the instrument board of anautomobile. Where' the heat-responsive element 4 is arranged in theradiator, the connecting tube 5 may conveniently be arranged above thecylinders and supported from the upper ortion of the hood or thesupporting mem er 6 therefor. This arrangement keeps the tube away fromthe operating parts of the engine and where it will not interfere withthe examination and repair of the engine parts. a

The element 4 may be abovethe water level in the radiator, but. it maalso be below the normal water level an continually subjected to thetemperature of the circulating water so that it will indicate in acontinuous and automatic manner the thermal condition of the water inthe radiator, and so that this temperature will be indicated upon theinstrument board or at other convenient point for observation without,however, bringing the circulatin fluid to the point at which theindicating device is placed.

iVhere the heat-responsive element and its connecting tube andthermometer or indicatin gage is used in connection with other vehic esthan an automobile, it can be simi-.

larly arran ed so that the heat-responsive element wilFbe subjected tothe influence of thd circulating water or other fluid or of the engineitself, and the thermometer or indi catiug gage can be arranged at anyconvenient point for observation. In flying machines where the engine isarranged behind the operator it is impossible for him to observe theconditions of operation without turning around, so far as the conditionof operation is indicated by devices carried by the engine itself.-VVith the present invention, however, the heat-responsive element canbe arranged at any suitable part of the engine, even where this part isinaccessible for purposes of continual observation, and the thermometeror indicating device can be brought to any desired point of observationin front of the operator.

Fig. 2 shows, conventionally, parts of a watc'ncoolcd engine in whichall of the cylinders are incloscd within a single water jacket. Thisengine is of a type inwhich sleeve valves are used, and in whichaccordingly the usual c'am operated valves are not provided at the headof the cylinders. These cylinders are indicated at 10 and are surroundedby an outer casing 11 forming the outer casing of the water jacket. Thewater is circulated from the radiator 12 to the jacket through. the pipe13 and returned to the radiator through the pipe 14. The heatresponsiveelement 6' is in this case arranged in the pipe 14 through which the hotwater from the water jacket passes to the radiator. It thus indicates atemperature which is substantially the maximum temperature of thecirculatory system, and this indication is transferred to thethermometer or gage located upon the dash board of the automobile or atother convenient point of observation.

In Fig. 3 parts of the casing of an engine are indicated at 15, thecrank being indicated at 16 supported in suitable bearings. The casing15 at its bottom has a well or depression 17 in which a pump 19 isarranged for circulating the lubricatin oil to the crank shaft or toother point 0 distribution or use.

A perforated bottom 18 is arranged above the bottom of the casing 15 andserves as a filter for the oil. From the pump 19, which is operated bany suitable part of the engine, a distri uting pipe 20 feeds the oil tothe crank shaft or other point of use and this pipe is provided with anextension 21 -leading to a pressure gage 22 arranged upon the dash boardor instrument board or other convenient point of observation.

The elements thus far described in connection with Fig. 3 are of anysuitable or preferred construction and operation, as will be readilyunderstood by those skilled in the art. The gage 22 serves to indicatethe pressure on the d'scharge side of the pump and accordingly erves toindicate whether the pump and the'lubricating system are operating proor v Failure of the oil supply and of the cue ation by means of the pumpwill be indicate to the operator by the indication given by thispressure gage. Accordingly; when the gage indicates the proper pressure,the o erator knows that the engine contains a su cient amount of oil andthat it is being circulated properly.

There are very many abnormal -conditions within the lubricating system;or sufficiently related thereto as tobe indicated thereby, which are notindicated by the pressure galge 22. These conditions are par- ,ticularlyermal conditions due to abnormal increase in temperature. A low grade ofOll. an insufiicient amount of 011,

low water in the radiator witii' resulting over-heating thereof, andover-heatin of other parts of the engine, hot bearings, irty sparkp1ugs,'and over-working of the engine, are some of the abnormalconditions which result in over-heatin of the oil and thereby indicatetheir existe iiaz.

According to the present invention, as illustrated in Fig. 3, means isprovided for I tor to tell at a glance whether the oil has beenover-heated or whether. it is'of. normal temperature. The gage 22 showsthe operntor whether: the lubricating pump is operat;

ing properly with the necessary amount of oil. The combination of thetwo indications gives to the operator :1 complete and automaticindication which enables him to tell whether theoil is being properlycirculated! in proper aniount and whether the temperature of this oil ishigh or low, high temperatures indicating abnormal conditions whichrequire investigation. It is important that both the circulation of theoil and its temperature shonhl be indicated for the reason that eitherindication alone would not indicate all of the conditions which areneces sary to be present for satisfactorpopcratiou. lVithout the thermalindicator. the oil might be highly ovcr hented without warning of anature which the operator would heed. \Vithout the indicator of the oilcirculation. the thermal indicator might indicate the temperature of thecasing when no oil is present. The two indicating devices co-act to givea complete indication such as can not be obtained with either devicealone. This combined indication is furthermore obtained withoutcirculating oil up to the dash board to register its temperature at thatpoint; and. with equal advantage. this ihdication is obtained withoutcirculating the oil up to the dash hoa rd and through a visible sightfeed.

Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are enlarged views of the indicating and of theheat-responsive a element 4; I he gage 7 may be of any suitableconstruction and is shown as provided with a flange 8 by nieaus of'whiehit is attached to the instrument board, and with a pointer 9coiiperating with a suitable calirated thermal scale.

'here the indicating gage, or the indicatinggagessuch as those of Fig. 3are all segregated away from the engine and upon the dash board, theymay be conveniently arranged under the instrument light where they canbe illuminated at night and their indications continuously observed.

The capillary or other connecting tube 5 may be of a flexible nature sothat it can be readily attached and supported.

It is becoming more and more common, in automobile construction, to omitthe filling cap and filling opening at the top of a radiator, and, insuch cases, it is not feasible to provide a temperature indicatingdevice at-such point, where it will be visible to the operator.Thedevice of the present invention, as indicated for example in Fig. 1,is not affected by the presence of the filling opening or rap at the topof the radiator, and such opening can. be provided within the hood oratany other suitable )oint Without interfering -\\'ith the operation ofthe heat-responsive element and its coiiperating indicating or recordinggage.

I claim In a self-propelled vehicle driven by an internal combustionengine provided with a pump tor supplying lubricant to the bearings ofthe engine. and a well in communication with the intake side of the pumpfor collecting the oil after it has passed through the bearings. thecombination of a conduit leading from the discharge side of the pump apressure indicating device connected to the conduit and mounted. on apart of the vehicle in position to be conveniently observed by thedriver. a heat responsive element mounted in the well, a capillary tubeleading from the heat responsive element, and an i dicating deviceconnected to the capillary tut nd mounted ad'ncent to the first namedindicaiix: d vice. in testimony whereof I affix m av:

GEORGE S. \VITHAM, JR.

